At least three people have been detained after a shooting at a nightclub in the southeastern U.S. state of Florida that left two people dead.

The motive for the shooting is not clear, but police said in a statement "this incident was not an act of terror."

Officials say at least 17 people were wounded in the incident early Monday outside the Fort Myers nightclub, Club Blu, which was holding an event for teenagers. Hospital officials say at least two of the injured are in critical condition. The victims ranged in age from 12-27 years old.

Fort Myers, Florida

The nightclub said the shooting took place around 12:30 a.m. Monday when the venue was closing and parents were picking up their children. "We tried to give the teens what we thought was a safe place to have a good time," the nightclub said on its Facebook page, adding that it had armed security guards posted inside and outside the club.

Police said in a statement they are "actively canvassing the area looking for other persons who may be involved in this incident."

Florida is also the state where, last month, a mass shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando left 49 people dead, once again pushing gun control to the forefront of the 2016 political election season.

A recent poll says an increasing number of Americans are in favor of tougher gun laws, but are pessimistic lawmakers will do anything soon to bring about changes.

The Associated Press/GfK poll says Americans do not feel safe and are concerned they or a relative will be victims of gun violence.